Solvent cooled condenser for a dry cleaner



March 16, 1965 G. R. SEVERANCE SOLVENT COOLED CONDENSER FOR A DRY CLEANER Filed March 14, 1962 8LOWE2 M w 0 T INVENTOR. G/en E. Severance United States Patent ()fifice 3,173,766 Patented Mar. 16, 1965 3,173,766 SOLVENT COOLED CONDENdER FOR A DRY CLEANER Glen R. Severance, Benton Harbor, Micln, assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, St. Joseph, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 179,640 4 Claims. (Cl. 34-77) The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for dry cleaning, and more particularly to a self-regeneratating solvent cycling means and process for use with a dry cleaner.

As is Well known in the art, the reclamation of dry cleaning solvents such as perchlorethylene constitutes a major problem in the economical operation of a dry cleaner, particularly in view of the expensive nature of such solvent. To elfect such reclamation, it has generally been necessary to provide a separate regenerating system for a solvent condenser and to process the solvent in a complex manner.

The present invention eliminates these difficulties by providing a self-regenerating solvent system. In accord ance with this system, solvent is circulated through the drum in a wash cycle of the dry cleaner and during the dry cycle, at least, is circulated through the solvent condenser for the dry cleaner so that the solvent itself acts as the immediate refrigerating medium to condense the solvent vapors. To this end, refrigeration means are provided in a solvent reservoir, which desirably include a refrigerating unit positioned on the reservoir and having refrigerant coils directly immersed in the reservoir to refrigerate the solvent so that a solvent pump can move the refrigerated solvent through the condenser.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dry cleaner having an improved solvent recovery system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device as described wherein the solvent in liquid form is utilized for recapture of solvent in vapor from as produced in the dry cleaning process.

Another object of the invention is to provide efl'lcient and effective refrigerant means for use in the refrigerating of the solvent to permit the self-condensation of the solvent vapors.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds in accordance with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic View of a dry cleaner system according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral 16 indicates generally a casing for receiving articles to be cleaned and is disclosed as containing a rotatable pe forate or foraminous drum 11. The drum 11 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 12 driven by a motor 13. An access door 14 is provided to permit introduction of the articles to be cleaned into the interior of the drum 11 and the casing or housing is provided with a drain sump 16 to collect liquid dry cleaning solvent such as perchlorethylene. This solvent is discharged by gravity, or otherwise, to a solvent receptacle or reservoir 17 through a conduit 18.

The dry cleaning solvent is driven through an hydraulic circuit in the form of a stream, thereby recirculating the solvent through the circuit.

To effect that end a pump 21 is submerged in the reservoir 17, below the level of the liquid solvent 22. The pump 21 is driven by a motor 23 so that the solvent is discharged under pressure from the reservoir through a solvent conduit 24. A filter 25 is located in the conduit 24 and is effective to remove the impurities from the solvent before it is directed into the dry cleaner treatment zone. From the filter 25 the fluid passes directly into a line or conduit 19 via a control valve 26. The conduit 19 has a nozzle 1% arranged to direct the stream through an opening 11a formed in one end of the drum 11 thereby to wet the clothes or other materials with solvent before impacting the materials against a substantially solvent free impact area near the bottom of the drum 11. The used solvent which drains from the fabrics is continuously returned to solvent receptacle 17 via conduit 18.

During a drying operation, solvent vapors in the housing 10 are vented from the housing by means of a conduit 27 which is located in the rear of the housing. The conduit 27 discharges the solvent vapors into a condenser assembly indicated generally by reference numeral 28, the condenser preferably being of the tube and fin type. A blower 29 which is set on the top of the condenser housing 30 is used to drive the solvent-free air drawn from the condenser housing 30 via an opening 31 in the chamber 32 in the form of a stream directed through a conduit 33 which constitutes an air duct leading to the heater duct portion 23a containing a heater coil 20. Thereby, the air is heated and driven through duct 34 for entry to the treatment zone including drum 11.

The air entering the condenser means 28 is first filtered by means of a lint filter 35 of any suitable type, which desirably permits the capture of lint from the air stream. The condensed solvent is withdrawn from a sump portion 38 of the condenser to the reservoir 17 by Way of a conduit 39.

in accordance with the present invention, liquefied solvent itself is utilized to operate the condenser means 28 and to cool the condenser coils 40 thereof. To this end, as well as for the purpose of providing liquid solvent in compact form for use in the dry cleaner, a refrigeration coil 41 is immersed in the solvent 22. Further in accordance With the present invention, the refrigerator coil 41 is supplied with refrigerant from a refrigerator unit 42 which is mounted directly on top of the reservoir 17. The positioning of the refrigerator unit 42 on the receptacle (and on the cover 42a of the receptacle) provides a more serviceable and eflicient system than could be provided with epxosed coils as well as a highly desirable compactness for the combined receptacle and refrigerator unit.

So as to provide the described self-regenerating action of the solvent, a branch line 43 leads from the conduit 19 in advance of the valve 26, and the flow of fiuid to the conduit 43 is in turn controlled by a valve 44 therein. The operation of the valves 26 and 44 is desirably such as to actuate the valve 44 to admit the fluid for condensing action during the drying phase of the operation. From the conduit 43, the solvent in its refrigerated form is introduced directly into the condenser 40, which as stated, may be of the tube and fin type. The discharge of solvent from the condenser coils 40 thereof is taken through a solvent return conduit 45 for return directly to the solvent reservoir 17.

It will thus be seen that the system is effective in recapturing the solvent vapors from solvent-laden air passing from the housing 10 through the conduit 27, whereby the recapture of the solvent itself affords an excellent low cost system which can be operated in a continuous manner despite any variations.

In conjunction with the foregoing operations, sensing means may be provided to determine the length of the drying cycle. Thus the liquid condensate recovered from the condenser 40 and falling through the line 39 passes through a water separator 46 and then through a drying control mechanism 47. The water separator 46 operates 3 on the principle that Water is lighter than the solvent and will flow to the top of the structure 46 so that the excess water can be continuously withdrawn from an overflow conduit 48. The purified solvent then flows to the said control mechanism 47 which operates a float mechanism (not shown), for example, to actuate a switch so that fiow of condensate, additional to the amount for the refrigerating means has been provided which not only keeps liquid solvent at an optimum operating temperature to avoid excessive dye bleed, but ,alsocools the solvent so it may function as a condenser coolant When pumped to the condenser. The solvent receptacle or reservoiris not only extremely compact because of the immediate superposition of the refrigerator unit thereon, but it suflices as a combined cleaning fluid container and condenser coolant container.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a dry cleaner apparatus having a washing operation and a drying operation,

a drum housing,

a rotatable drum mounted within said drum housing and adapted to tumble solvent laden fabrics during said drying operation,

drive means for rotating said drum,

.a solvent receptacle,

a condenser,

. a condenser housing for said condenser,

conduit means forming a closed circuit interconnecting said drum housing and said condenser housing,

.air translation means in said conduit .means for moving solvent vapors from said drum housing to said condenser housing and for moving solvent free air back to said drum housing from said condenser housing, heating means for heating solvent free air returned to said drum housing to elfect the evapora- 1g. tion of solvent from said solvent-laden fabrics, solvent conduit means for supplying solvent from said receptacle to said condenser and said drum housing,

conduit means interconnecting said drum housing and said solvent receptacle for returning used solvent to said solvent. receptacle,

a solvent return conduit leading from said condenser to said receptacle for returning solvent to said solvent receptacle from said condenser,refrigeration means in said solvent receptacle to maintain the solvent in an optimum temperature range for cleaning and condensing,

pump means for pumping solvent from said solvent receptacle through said solvent conduit meansto said drum housing for return therefrom to said receptacle and to said condenser to effect the cooling of said condenser and condensation ofsolvent vapors moved into said condenser housing,

and a conduit leading from' said condenser housing to said solvent receptacle to return condensed solvent from said condenser housing to said solvent receptacle.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the solvent conduit means includes valve means for selectively directing solvent from said solvent receptacle to either of said drum housing or said condenser.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the refrigeration means includes a self-contained refrigeration unit having its own compressor and condenser positioned on top of said solvent receptacle in immediate superposed relation thereto and having an evaporation coil extending into said solvent receptacle in heat exchange relationwith the solvent therein.

4. The device according to claim 1 and a filter in said solvent conduit means for removing impurities from the solvent before it is delivered to said drum housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A DRY CLEANER APPARATUS HAVING A WASHING OPERATION AND A DRYING OPERATION, A DRUM HOUSING, A ROTATABLE DRUM MOUNTED WITHIN SAID DRUM HOUSING AND ADAPTED TO TUMBLE SOLVENT LADEN FABRICS DURING SAID DRYING OPERATION DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRUM, A SOLVENT RECEPTACLE, A CONDENSER, A CONDENSER HOUSING FOR SAID CONDENSER, CONDUIT MEANS FORMING A CLOSED CIRCUIT INTERCONNECTING SAID DRUM HOUSING AND SAID CONDENSER HOUSING AIR TRANSLATION MEANS IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS FOR MOVING SOLVENT VAPORS FROM SAID DRUM HOUSING TO SAID CONDENSER BOUSING AND FOR MOVING SOLVENT FREE AIR BACK TO SAID DRUM HOUSING FROM SAID CONDENSER HOUSING, HEATING MEANS FOR HEATING SOLVENT FREE AIR RETURNED TO SAID DRUM HOUSING TO EFFECT THE EVAPORATION OF SOLVENT FROM SAID SOLVENT-LADEN FABRICS, SOLVENT CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING SOLVENT FROM SAID RECEPTACLE TO SAID CONDENSER AND SAID DRUM HOUSING, CONDUIT MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID DRUM HOUSING AND SAID SOLVENT RECEPTACLE FOR RETURNING USED SOLVENT TO SAID SOLVENT RECEPTACLE, A SOLVENT RETURN CONDUIT LEADING FROM SAID CONDENSER TO SAID RECEPTACLE FOR RETURNING SOLVENT TO SAID SOLVENT RECEPTACLE FROM SAID CONDENSER, REFRIGERATION MEANS IN SAID SOLVENT RECEPTACLE TO MAINTAIN THE SOLVENT IN AN OPTIMUM TEMPERATURE RANGE FOR CLEANING AND CONDENSING, PUMP MEANS FOR PUMPING SOLVENT FROM SAID SOLVENT RECEPTACLE THROUGH SAID SOLVENT CONDUIT MEANS TO SAID DRUM HOUSING FOR RETURN THEREFROM TO SAID RECEPTACLE AND TO SAID CONDENSER TO EFFECT THE COOLING OF SAID CONDENSER AND CONDENSATION OF SOLVENT VAPORS MOVED INTO SAID CONDENSER HOUSING, AND A CONDUIT LEADING FROM SAID CONDENSER HOUSING TO SAID SOLVENT RECEPTACLE TO RETURN CONDENSED SOLVENT FROM SAID CONDENSER HOUSING TO SAID SOLVENT RECEPTACLE. 